


it’s fate (kinda)

by hypegirl



Category: NCT (Band), NCT Dream
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Crack, Fate, Fortune Telling, Magic, OT7, Soulmates, Superstition, Tarot Cards, Weird Shit, Wikihow, YouTube, chenji besties my sons, creepy shops, dumbass bitch plans, it’s taeil time, jaemin is a dumbass hoe, markhyuck, nomin, not really - Freeform, stupidassdumbassbitchyhoeness, tarot reading, this is so bland why did i write this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2019-11-20
Packaged: 2021-02-13 15:41:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21496672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hypegirl/pseuds/hypegirl
Summary: In which Jaemin, on a YouTube spree at 3 AM discovers tarot reading.And of course, that bitch just has use this information (and the glorious internet) to cause problems.Enter Resident Straight Boy Mark Lee.And a whole lotta random bullshittery.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin
Comments: 12
Kudos: 109





	it’s fate (kinda)

**Author's Note:**

> this ones a strange one. still no proofreading. 
> 
> listen to anything dumb, i don’t have the energy to recommend anything. 
> 
> this was a weird idea, and i’m gifting this to a friend who loves nomin. 
> 
> again, it’s.. quirky. 
> 
> im_soft_ok i just wanna say sorry for what you’re about to read and also everything i’ve ever done in my life okay that’s done
> 
> fair warning: it’s confusing
> 
> also if anyone reads this who knows how to actually read tarot cards sorry i probably messed up i get my info from unreliable sources i.e. the internet

Never leave Na Jaemin alone with access to YouTube at three AM. 

Wait, no. 

That sounds like something. 

It’s not supposed to sound like that. 

It’s not like that.

Jaemin had just been peacefully scrolling through his feed when something sparkly caught his eye. 

No one could blame him. He liked shiny things. 

He wasn’t aware, at the time, that by clicking, he’d gotten himself trapped in a virtual tarot reading. 

But wait- it gets better. 

A soulmate reading. 

Yeah, exactly what it sounds like. 

It was like Jaemin had been put into a trance, suddenly believing every soft word uttered by the woman in the video. 

Now, Jaemin was an easy target for shit like this. He wasn’t GULLIBLE, but he was somewhat superstitious. 

When confronted about it, he’d said that he found a sense of comfort in the supernatural. 

Chenle and Jisung remained unconvinced. 

Jaemin watched with a squint as the woman drew card after card, whispering seemingly random physical features. 

Slightly terrified, Jaemin believed her unconditionally. 

Guys, cut him some slack. It was three AM, everyone was asleep, Jaemin sat alone on his bed with his face illuminated by his phone screen. 

You would too, if you were in his place. 

Trust me.

He raised an eyebrow as she narrated what the cards were apparently telling her. 

Broad shoulders, gentle, kind, dark hair? 

Jaemin knew he shouldn’t have, but his eyes almost automatically flicked to the boy fast asleep on the bunk next to him. 

He continued the video with a goofy smile and an eyebrow raised in question. 

Reminder: this is a soulmate reading. 

Generous, cheerful, funny, muscular. 

Jaemin now performed an almost perfect imitation of the blinking white guy meme at his phone screen. 

He then paused the video, a diabolical grin across his face. 

How fun it would be to harass his friends with something like this. 

He closed out of the video with the smirk still on his face, laying down facing Jeno, just watching him breathe. 

In a non-creepy way. 

Jaemin drifted off to sleep, only to dream of all the chaos he would cause. 

〜

The next morning, Jaemin had decided that this was a completely worthwhile way to spend his free time. 

Cultivating an interest in divination to freak the fuck out of his friends?

Why not?

So maybe he’d woken up at four am and taken a peaceful stroll to the always-slightly-creepy little shop on the corner. 

Honestly, he’d always thought it was a joke of some sort, but at least it was less conspicuous than ordering that shit on amazon. 

Jaemin pushed through the curtain, a jingling noise ringing through the small room from the smaller curtain of beads behind it. 

He glanced around, a strange sense of vellichor enveloping him. 

The whole place smelled of old books and dust, but something about it was comforting. 

“Hello.” 

The voice nearly made Jaemin jump out of his skin as he turned to its source, a slender figure hidden by the shadows of night standing behind the counter that he could have sworn was empty a second ago. 

“You’re getting up to some mischief, I see.” They murmured, the shifting of the darkness alerting Jaemin to the fact that he was being looked up and down. 

“I-“ 

“Don’t bother denying it, honey. I can see it in your eyes.”

The figure straightened up, the pensive quality disappearing from their voice as they clapped their hands together. “Now! How can I help you, young man?” 

Jaemin raised his eyebrows, muttering incoherently as he gestured around. 

The shopkeeper clucked, stepping out from behind the counter and making their way out towards him. 

They (Jaemin didn’t want to assume gender) were taller than their silhouette had indicated, round glasses balanced precariously on the edge of their nose. They were dressed normally, with the exception of a string of brilliant emerald beads that hung low around their neck and probably around 100 piercings on the one ear that wasn’t hidden by their side- swept auburn hair.

“I’m Taeil. Pleasure to meet you.” They grinned, extending a hand. 

Jaemin remained silent, still slightly shaken and unaware of how rude he must seem. 

Taeil brushed it off. “Yeah, I get that a lot. Probably because of the ambience of the place.” They paused, leaning in slightly. Jaemin noticed that this required them to stand on their tiptoes. “I’m a he, by the way. I know it’s all kind of-“ 

“How... I’m-“ 

“Don’t worry about it.” Taeil shrugged. “What are you looking for?” 

Jaemin had finally shut his brain up enough to form a sentence. “I actually saw a video-“ 

“Ah yes, the wonders of the YouTube.” Taeil, despite not looking any older than 25, had the air of an 80 year old man. He strutted across the small room, inspecting one of the dusty shelves. 

At the risk of sounding het, Jaemin’s brain concluded that Taeil walked like a gay person. 

Respect. 

“I am gay,” Taeil said suddenly, not looking back. “Though the fact that you’re inquiring about that gives me strong chaotic neutral energy.” 

Jaemin blinked. 

“Forgive me, Doyoung says I need to respect people’s privacy.” He snorted. “Anyways, you wanted tarot cards, yes?” 

The younger boy had no memory of saying that, but nodded anyway. 

Taeil handed handed him a small pack wrapped in brown paper. “Actually-“ He reached into his pocket and procured four stones. 

Jaemin raised an eyebrow. They seemed too bright to be real. 

“These might help with your purpose.” The man smiled, a glint in his eyes. 

“Uh, okay.” He accepted the packet and the small gems. 

After paying, Jaemin stepped back out into the chilly morning with a confused smile and a plan.

〜

”The others are starting to get worried, you know.” Muttered Jeno, strolling into the room with a cup of microwaveable ramen. 

“Fuck off.” 

“WOah, there. Is everything okay?”

Jaemin, for the first time in three hours, broke eye contact with his computer screen to give Jeno an RBF. 

He was suddenly made aware of the pile of cards around him that had started out with a methodically arrangement and now were enough to send Renjun and his neat-freak ass into convulsions.

“Everything is FINE.” 

Both were silent. 

“Oh no.” Jeno whispered suddenly. 

“Oh no what?” 

“You’ve relapsed.” 

“Relapsed? Into what?” Jaemin asked cautiously. 

“The creepy magic nonsense.” 

Jaemin took personal offense to this. 

“Hey, what are these?” Jeno asked, scooping up the four gems. 

Jaemin snatched them back. “Taeil gave them to me.” 

Jeno raised an eyebrow. 

“Creepy shop guy.” 

“Ah.” 

It was a wonder they could understand each other. 

Jeno squinted at the computer screen. “I see you’re... Huh.” He squinted. “This should be fun.” 

“Darling, I’m just getting started.”

〜

Mark was less tired than usual. 

No schedule today. 

Sleep. Glorious sleep. 

He didn’t feel like doing anything today, but was perfectly content to curl up in his usual spot on the couch and watch Chenle and Jisung play Mario Kart. 

Jeno was eating ramen, Donghyuck was desperately trying to get Renjun to hug him, and Jisung was reveling in the fact that he’d figured out how to blue-shell a shrieking Chenle. 

This, believe it or not, was peace.

“Hey, where’s Jaemin?” Renjun asked suddenly, pausing for long enough for Donghyuck to swoop in and attack. 

In his lazy trance, Mark had barely noticed his absence. 

But he had to say, he wasn’t surprised in the least when Jeno jumped up and volunteered to go find him. 

And, if he wasn’t mistaken, he’d noticed a ghost of a smirk on Hyuck’s face. 

〜

A few moments later, Jeno emerged from the hallway looking slightly dazed. 

“Mark?” 

Mark jolted at the sound of his name, like a puppy. “Hmm?” He asked, adjusting his glasses. 

“Jaemin would like to see you.” 

Would like to see you?

The fuck?

“Let me guess.” Chirped Chenle, barely looking up from the TV screen. “Is he back on his creepy shit again?” 

“Zhong Chenle, do not swear in this household-“ Renjun raised an arm as if yo swat at him. 

“Perhaps.” Jeno sighed, ineffectively concealing a smile. 

Mark Lee was not eager to learn what Jaemin’s creepy shit was, but reluctantly followed. 

Took one step into the room and turned back around into the hallway. 

“aY!” 

“Yeah, okay.” 

He turned back, stepping into the room and peering down at Jaemin before him. A series of cards lay in front of him, 4 decks before 4 cards placed downwards, each with a different tiny gem atop it. 

They seemed unusually bright for some reason.

“Where’d you get those?” 

“Taeil.”

“Who?”

“Creepy shop guy.” Jeno contributed helpfully. 

Mark raised an eyebrow. 

“Alright, get out.” Said Jaemin to Jeno quite suddenly. 

“Why????” Whined the latter.

“You’re disturbing the spirits.” 

“THaT iS nOT cOrrEcT-“ Came a yell from the hall. 

“Close the door on your way out.”

〜

Mark was already quite unsettled. “Oh-kay. I’m assuming I have to pick one of these?” 

Jaemin nodded.

Now, Mark would have usually just chosen a random one to please Jaemin, but there was something weird going on here. 

Let it be known that Mark Lee is not into That Superstition Crap.

Strangely enough, his eye was drawn towards the green gem on the left. 

He didn’t want to admit how right it felt to point at it, because quite honestly, he was freaked out. 

Taemin, whoever the hell he was, was probably a wizard or something. 

If that stuff was real. 

Jaemin nodded with a smile, and it was quite obvious that he had no idea what he was doing. He flipped the card over, revealing an image of a figure on a horse before a sunset.

SUN, it read simply. 

“The hell does that mean?” 

“You know, positivity, optimism, warmth, peace— all the things you are currently lacking in your life.” 

“Hold up.” Mark said, raising a hand. “What exactly is going on here?” 

“Physical qualities of a potential soulmate.” Jaemin murmured, as though he was reading it. 

“Bro, I never agreed to this.” 

“Too late, honey.” 

So, Mark was about to have the qualities of some girl narrated to him?

Well, it didn’t sound that bad. 

NOT IN THAT WAY. 

But Mark figured, what’s the worst that could happen?

“Proceed.” He sighed. 

“So, I guess this is the defining quality? Goodness, wholeness, etc.” He paused for a moment. “So, WikiHow is giving me conflicting information so I’m just gonna let you..” He pushed the other cards away, picking up the deck that had been placed behind the sun card and fanning out the cards. “Pick one.” 

Again with the creepy impulses, Mark reached for a card buried somewhere in the middle. 

THE DEER: Gentle, generous, serene, innocent.

“Keep going.” Said Jaemin, getting slightly invested in this himself. 

THE CAT, THE DOG:

Mark repeated himself. “The hell does that mean.” 

Jaemin blinked. “I have no fucking idea. I guess it’s hair color, or something? But it’s all weird, so it looks like, maybe someone who was born was dark hair but changed it a lot?” 

Mark’s mind shouldn’t have gone where it did. There are plenty of dark haired girls out there who dye it. Yeah, totally.

Yeah. 

“Should I do more, or..?” 

“Sure.” 

THE DARK FAERY: 

“Melanin. That’s literally all the fucking website says.” 

“Uh... Yeah, alright.” 

Tons of happy girls with dyed hair and melanin.

Is Mark okay? 

THE CLOWN: 

“Looks... Young?” Jaemin wondered.

“Bro, don’t ask me, you could literally be spouting random nonsense and I’d still believe you.”

“Now there’s an idea.” 

THE QUEEN: Dominance, Presence, Command

“Accurately named.” Jaemin squinted. 

SWORDS + PENTACLES: Average height, lean, brown eyes. 

“Is this a prank?” Mark asked, suddenly becoming paranoid.

Suffice it to say, his mind was going places and he didn’t like it. 

“N-no.” 

“Then how- why?” 

“Huh?” 

“Look at them.”

Jaemin squinted again, obviously unaware of whatever pattern Mark was seeing. 

“Tell me it’s not him.”

“Ooh, HIM.” Jaemin teased. “From Mark Lee, resident straight boy. I’m intrigued.” 

“Okay, okay. Who’d you get?” 

“Jeno.” Jaemin said stoically.

“OKAY, WELL, THAT MAKES SENSE!” 

“Wh-why?” 

“BECAUSE BOTH OF YOUR GAY ASSES ARE WHIPPED FOR EACH OTHER ARE YOU FUCKING BLIND?” Mark shrieked. 

“Keep your voice down, there are children-“

“Okay, okay. All I’m trying to say is that this-“ He paused to gesture between the cards spread across the floor. “This makes no sense.” 

“Why? You have someone in mind?” 

“Would I be saying this if i didn’t?” 

Jaemin blinked, looking pensively off into the distance. “I mean, if you have someone in mind during a soulmate reading, doesn’t that mean you want them to be your soulmate?” 

! Brain Error 404 !

“What?” Came the reply, in true Mark Lee fashion, after a second of hesitation. That’s- no.”

“Also, since when do you believe in this stuff?” 

“I- I don’t know.” 

“Then why do you believe me now?” 

“I dON’T KNOW-“ 

Jaemin began to look slightly creeped out. 

It was about time, in Mark’s opinion. 

“What the fuck am I doing-“ He breathed. 

“I STILL DON’T KNOW!” 

Jaemin glanced back up to Mark, his voice dropping suddenly. “Who is it?” 

Mark sputtered. “I- We-“

“Who?” 

“nO- I’m being dumb.” 

“There’s a statement I can’t deny, but I’d like to have the pleasure of knowing what’s got you all.. Weird.” Jaemin muttered, packing up the cards hurriedly. 

“Can we just forget about this?” 

“That may be somewhat difficult.” 

〜

When Jaemin finally succeeded in kicking Mark out to be confused on his own time, he paused in the doorway for seemingly no reason. 

The others could tell something was off, from the way Mark went sheet white upon looking between them. 

Jeno looked expectantly at Jaemin, who said nothing. 

Chenle and Jisung, in their own world as usual, were arguing about who won a race.

Renjun had disappeared into the kitchen in search of any source of sugar, which left Hyuck with no one to cling to for the time being. 

Jaemin watched with an interesting combination of horror and surprise as Mark plopped on the couch next to Donghyuck, for once not looking completely revolted as the boy wrapped his arms around him like a koala. 

The two of them made eye contact for a split second. 

“Oh, SHIT!” He screeched suddenly. 

Jaemin sprinted out of the hall back to his room, in a sudden panic. 

Fate better have an answer to this one.

**Author's Note:**

> it’s a wonder you made it through this piece of crap now SPEAK TO ME: (pls, [instagram](https://instagram.com/dear.__.dream?igshid=16hz0xg0t0p70) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/rmstzngn).)
> 
> edit 4/6/20 WHAT THE FUCK THANK YOU FOR 1000 HITS
> 
> edit 4/20/20- hi guys, i’d just like to mention that i seriously considered creating a series based off of this work, including all the other members and the other gemstones and a whole load of supernatural shit. i even had the entire plot set and everything, and was ready to do this, but i just lost all my motivation and realized how completely far-fetched this series would be. so, i’ve decided to leave this fic out there with no clear ending, because i knew that if i started something i’d regret it later.
> 
> as always, thank you and stay safe!


End file.
